Blockchain not a panacea for managing health records, fed expert says

While blockchain has a number of potentially promising healthcare applications, including the management of electronic health records, the technology has certain pitfalls that may inhibit its utility.

That’s the message delivered on Wednesday to lawmakers by Chris Jaikaran, a cybersecurity policy analyst in the Government and Finance Division at the Congressional Research Service.

Blockchain technology employs a data structure that can be time-stamped and signed using a private key to prevent tampering; many experts in the healthcare industry see the technology as a natural fit for managing the accountability, authentication, confidentiality and sharing of information.